Teachers' Self-Efficacy on the Use of Information Technologies in the Distance Education Process - A Scale Development Study

Oct 15, 2026

The Covid-19 outbreak drove widespread adoption of distance learning to maintain educational continuity while protecting students and educators. As technology use in teaching expanded rapidly, this study develops a measurement tool for primary school teachers’ information technology self-efficacy in Balıkesir during the 2020–2021 academic year. Analysis identified a scale structure with five factors and twelve items, and results support the scale’s reliability. The instrument enables assessment of teachers’ self-efficacy and informs efforts to strengthen technology use in distance education.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages18

Reading Time45 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

Distance education and ICT in response to Covid-19

Self-efficacy theory and examples in ICT use

Prior scale development and adaptation studies

Teachers' Self-Efficacy on the Use of Information Technologies in the Distance Education Process: A Scale Development Study Özge ÖZTUZCU1 Balıkesir University Zeynel Abidin MISIRLI 2 Balıkesir University Abstract The Covid-19 outbreak has compelled many countries to shift towards distance learning as a means to continue education while ensuring the safety of students and educators. Consequently, the usage of information technologies in education has increased significantly. This study focuses on developing a tool for measuring the information technology self-efficacy of primary school teachers in Balıkesir who have had to increase their use of technology for distance education during the academic year 2020-2021. The study participants are primary school teachers in Balıkesir. The scale structure, consisting of five factors and twelve items, was identified through analysis. The results indicate that the developed scale is reliable. The scale can help assess the self-efficacy of distance education teachers and support efforts to improve their use of information technologies. Keywords: scale development, distance education, information technologies, self-sufficiency, teachers. DOI: 10.29329/epasr.2023 .600.19 Submitted: 06 March 2023 Accepted: 17 June 2023 Published: 30 September 2023 *This study was produced from the master’s thesis of the first author under the supervision of the second author 1 Computer Education and Instructional Technologies Teacher, Balıkesir, Türkiye, ORCID: 0000-0003-2836-073X, Correspondence: [oztuzcuo@gmail.com](oztuzcuo@gmail.com) 2 Assist. Prof., Faculty of Education, Balıkesir University, Balıkesir, Türkiye, ORCID: 0000-0002-9504-4836, Email: [abidin@balikesir.edu.tr](abidin@balikesir.edu.tr) Introduction In today's continuously evolving world of information and communication technologies (ICTs), accessing information has become a critical need for individuals. With the continuous development of technology, the easiest and fastest way to access information is through technological tools (Katrancı and Uygun, 2013) . Technology has found its way into various fields, and education isone of the areas where it is widely used. As technology continues to advance, the tools used in education are constantly evolving (Mert & Şen, 2019) . Teachers use smart boards, tablets, and other advanced devices to deliver lessons. In contrast, in the past, they relied on maps, blackboards, and books (Yalçınkaya & Özkan, 2014; Mert & Şen, 2019). Technology has significantly transformed how teachers conduct their lessons, making teaching more efficient and interactive. In the 21st century, the Covid-19 pandemic has affected people worldwide, and Türkiye has taken various measures, such as curfews and interrupting education, to protect people's health (Can, 2020) . As a result, distance education (DE) was implemented to ensure the continuity of education, where students and teachers can teach lessons synchronously or asynchronously in a virtual environment using technological tools. While distance education provides advantages such as equal opportunity, cost, and time efficiency, it also has drawbacks such as limited socialisation and delayed feedback (Santana de Oliveira et al., 2018; Erfidan, 2019) . With the increasing importance of technological tools during the Covid-19 pandemic, teachers' and students' use of technological equipment has increased significantly. Thus, this research intends to construct a scale determining teachers' self-efficacy in using information technologies (IT) . Self-efficacy is based on the principle of mutual determination, which is a social-cognitive theory developed by Albert Bandura and expresses an individual's belief in being successful in a subject (Zimmerman, 1995) . Teachers' self-efficacy in using ICT can be exemplified by working with cloud storage and preparing various materials with Web 2.0 tools. In the DE process, self-efficacy in using ICT can

FAQs

What does the study aim to measure?

It aims to develop a scale that measures primary school teachers’ information technology self-efficacy in distance education.

How was the scale structured?

The analysis identified a five-factor structure consisting of twelve items.

Why is the scale important for distance education?

It helps assess teachers’ self-efficacy in using information technologies and supports improvement efforts for technology use in distance education.

Oct 15, 2026

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